


Connection to Explore

by Merfilly



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ensemble Cast, F/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-03-12 22:29:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23080726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly
Summary: Qui-Gon uses the warrior's presence as a reason to stay behind and pursue the connection that was building with Shmi.
Relationships: Qui-Gon Jinn/Shmi Skywalker
Comments: 34
Kudos: 66
Collections: Space Swap 2020





	Connection to Explore

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thisbluespirit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thisbluespirit/gifts).

"Take them back to Coruscant, Obi-Wan, the boy included," Qui-Gon said, ignoring the absolute disapproval on the boy's face. "Drop me on the other side of the town."

"This is not part of the mission," Obi-Wan protested.

"Our mission ended when the Trade Federation blew up the ship. We have been improvising since then, and shall continue to do so," Qui-Gon said with complete honesty. "I won't be far behind you, if I am correct. I need to track down that warrior after all, rather than leave him behind us."

"This is not a good idea — very well, Master," Obi-Wan cut off at the dangerous look on the elder man's face.

They circled around, and Qui-Gon dropped off to finish business with both the warrior… and a slave master.

* * *

Quinlan Vos, having been pursing his own mission, did not much appreciate the arrival of one of the most unorthodox Jedi at his cantina table. The Kiffar sized up the master, and decided there was an edge he did not want to tempt.

"One, there is a Force warrior, possibly Zabrak, but with coloration unlike any I have seen, wielding a red lightsaber. That one nearly had the better of me, but I am prepared now. Two, I need Watto to forfeit his claim on Shmi Skywalker. Can you handle that aspect, while I deal with the fighter?"

"I'm here on legitimate business," Quinlan began. "But Watto has debts. And I can arrange to make them worse, get the woman free. Belongs with that boy I saw rescue the stranger?"

Qui-Gon nodded; catching Quinlan out of the corner of his eye that day had been fortuitous. "Thank you, Quinlan."

Quinlan didn't say that the sooner he got Qui-Gon Jinn off this rock the happier he would be. He just nodded, and the elder man left him to his side of it.

* * *

Another encounter, two injuries… and Qui-Gon Jinn had never been so thankful for easily startled eopi herds. He had come face to face with the warrior and realized that in all ways, from youthful stamina to actual skill, he was outmatched at this, one on one.

The herd had separated them, but Qui-Gon had no doubt the warrior had survived. He was now more certain that the warrior was a Zabrak, albeit of a variety he'd never met before. Qui-Gon thought the warrior was male, but knew better than to presume on that matter. He was also aware of the warrior's ease at calling the Force, adding another layer. If the Zabrak was not trained by the Temple, and then Fallen to the Dark Side, who had trained him?

He did not believe the warrior had come out of any of the schisms from the Order, though that was more intuition than fact. The longer their second fight had gone, actually, the more he thought this might actually be a true Sith, the ancient enemies of the Order.

There was little to do now other than hope Quinlan Vos had been successful, and see to escaping with the lady Shmi. He owed the woman much, for shelter and allowing her son to go. He also felt a need to study the connection he'd felt with her, the quiet whisper of the Force that had been between them.

* * *

Quinlan looked relieved when Qui-Gon met him outside the cantina, giving an impudent salute to him, before tossing him a couple of passes. Shmi watched it all with patent disbelief, but said nothing.

"Passes for the _Angry Anooba_," Quinlan said. "I'd go now; they're taking supplies to Coruscant, probably for Ziro."

"The warrior is still here, and very dangerous," Qui-Gon said.

Quinlan shook his head. "I'll manage. But you need to get gone, and that ship lifts soon."

"My gratitude." Qui-Gon turned to the lady, with the quirky protocol droid at her side. "Milady?"

"I do not understand. You are supposed to be looking after my son," she accused.

"I left him in the care of my padawan, as well as the Naboo contingent. He will be there on Coruscant when we arrive," Qui-Gon said smoothly. "Now, shall we?" He reached for the meager case of her belongings, pulling it up by the strap to shoulder it.

"I will not explode?" she asked, hesitating.

Qui-Gon's jaw went hard, but Quinlan had given him a quick look of assurance. "My friend has dealt with that. Let us hasten, given that Threepio is a bit slow in his ambulations."

"I do apologize, but this body is limited," the droid protested, getting a gentle touch on his arm from Shmi.

That was one more piece of why Qui-Gon had known he had to free her. She was so compassionate, a trait sorely lacking in the galaxy these days.

* * *

Qui-Gon made it back in time to find Obi-Wan, Padme, and Captain Panaka preparing for the return to Naboo. Anakin was… nowhere to be seen?

"Master," Obi-Wan said without much warmth, and that warned Qui-Gon how badly the Council had handled things. "The boy is up on the ship already, as Captain Olié was kind enough to show him pre-flight procedures."

"What are we currently facing?" Qui-Gon asked, as those words reassured the woman with him.

"We, presuming you returned in time," Obi-Wan said with a touch of rebuke, "are to go to Naboo as the Queen's protectors while she seeks to end this. The boy's future has not been decided, as I did not feel I had the information to share. And the Senate is in chaos as elections are held," and he glanced at the Queen, "in the aftermath of a vote of no-confidence."

Qui-Gon was unsettled by that, as Valorum was at least somewhat a friend, and a truly good man. What had happened, to bring a sudden vote of no-confidence in the midst of all this? 

"For all the good that pushing it has done for my people. We must take direct action now," the Queen intoned. "Welcome, Lady Skywalker, and you have Our gratitude for giving sanctuary to my handmaiden and her companions. And you, Master Jedi."

"It needed to be done," Shmi answered, but she lowered her eyes in deference to the royal woman.

"When do we leave?" Qui-Gon asked, wanting to share what he knew of the warrior.

"As soon as we finish loading everything, so not much longer."

Qui-Gon looked nettled, but accepted that.

"Milady, do you have room for one more, plus her droid?" Qui-Gon asked, a gentle hand on Shmi's elbow.

"Of course, though we go to danger."

"And my son is with you, so I prefer to face that danger as well," Shmi said, finalizing the matter.

* * *

Shmi had knowledge of first aid, and was not afraid to learn basic knowledge of Gungans. Anakin was supposed to remain there… until he insisted he felt like he had to go with Master Jinn.

Even Obi-Wan realized the Force was pushing him.

"We will talk more once the battle is done," Qui-Gon told Shmi, firmly refusing to believe there might not be an after.

"If there is one. If not, I die a free woman," she said, chin up sharply. He gave her a smile, sad around the edges that she looked at it that way, and nodded, going to the others.

On the ship, they had talked. On the way here, she had admitted that Obi-Wan's manners left her uncertain of the Order as a choice for her son. While Qui-Gon had excused his padawan's behavior to her, it had made him think.

Maybe they would need to find a different path.

* * *

There was the warrior. He'd already pushed both of them to the edge of their abilities, but Qui-Gon knew he, no, they could do this.

"Obi-Wan," he called in a moment when they had a little distance between them and the warrior.

His padawan looked over, and Qui-Gon was so relieved they seemed to be on the same page. Obi-Wan just nodded once, taking a deep breath… and the bond they shared flowed more strongly with awareness of one another.

Teamwork, not stubborn individualism, was the key here.

"Together," his padawan breathed, and they leaped up to the next catwalk in tune with one another.

The fight changed then. It wasn't that either fighter was closer to the warrior in skill. It was more that they knew how to work the fight, letting one defend as the other attacked, pushing the warrior ever harder. It was a matter of endurance now, of each fighter using the Force to offset the energy expended.

No longer was it a running fight. The warrior had failed to maneuver them to the ground of his choosing. It was beginning to look as if the fight would go on and on, until either Naboo security or droids came to shift the tide.

And then the warrior did a high kick, knocking Qui-Gon back as a Force shove threw Obi-Wan back the other way. Qui-Gon hastened to get his footing back, trying to find the Force push that could protect Obi-Wan… only for the warrior to drop over the edge of the catwalk. Obi-Wan was the one to respond, moving to jump down as well, only to catch himself at the edge, for the warrior was falling rapidly down into the pits of the station.

"Master?"

Qui-Gon, looking over the edge, shook his head. "We'll tell the Queen. Let us go catch up to her now."

* * *

Anakin was finally in bed, Obi-Wan was … hmm, studying politics on Naboo among the handmaidens with the Queen.

Qui-Gon sat down in the deep window sill of the suite they had all been given, looking out over the city with its signs of occupation. Those would not last as the Queen was resolute in the victory she had wrought, aided by Anakin's accidental victory over the droids.

There had been no sign of the warrior, but Panaka assured him they would keep looking.

Now, Qui-Gon had to face the future, had to truly —

"You are thinking too much, Master Jedi."

— face the nebulous connection to this amazing woman. Boss Nass had reported, when he and his generals brought the woman and Nabooian troops to the city, she had braved being as close as possible to the lines, pulling the injured to safety more than once.

Why did the Force sizzle with anticipation between them like this? He was too old for physical distractions to overwhelm his control, and yet he thought of her incessantly if not otherwise occupied. This, after but a few short days of knowing her.

"I must see a path ahead," he agreed. "Obi-Wan's impression of the Council concerning Ani is poor. Yet, I feel he could only benefit from being trained to use his gifts." That it should keep him away from the warrior, likely a Sith who had to have a master or apprentice somewhere, was a bonus. "And there is the matter of being responsible for ensuring you have a good chance to start over, milady."

She sat in the other end of the window, facing him. "The Queen has granted me citizenship here. And Anakin, should the Order not be the right place for him."

"It is good to know he will have a place, if I fail to convince the Order. But… that does not provide for you."

"I am not your property to see to, Master Jinn. You yourself said so, and Jedi may not have attachments to more than their duty. I clearly heard young Obi-Wan telling Ani that earlier."

Qui-Gon frowned, even though that was factually true. It was an honest summation on all levels.

He did not like it.

"I… accept those two statements. I also find I do not wish the latter to come between us, milady. There is a connection I feel, and I think you do as well, that should be explored, to learn what it means for each of us."

She considered that a very long moment. "I think, Qui-Gon," and his whole being shivered to hear her say his given name, "that you must oversee Ani's path while I set my own. Perhaps, when Ani is strong on his own feet, I will be accustomed to freedom, and then… only then… that connection will be the path to explore."

It was… a start.

"May I have the privilege of communications with you, to inform you of Ani's progress, and be aware of how your new life suits you?" he asked.

Was that a slight flush on her skin, or the lighting casting a new glow?

"That you would call it such," she murmured before putting her hand in the middle of the window seat they shared. "Yes."

He covered it with his own. "I will look forward to such times, Shmi," he said, and her eyelashes fluttered for the use of her name.

This was nothing like anything he'd known, but somehow, he felt it was only the first of changes to come in their future.


End file.
